Henry Kilpatrick

Henry "Buddy" Kilpatrick, has been studying, picking, and eating wild edible mushrooms and plants for over 20 years. With 30 years of gardening experience, he has more recently taken up the cultivation of medicinal and visionary plants. He was president of the Mycological Association of Washington in 2003, was its newsletter editor for a number of years and is currently a member of the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club. Buddy has also taught adult education courses in mushroom foraging at Chautauqua Institution and Arlington County, VA Adult Education, and presented mushroom and plant workshops at a number of Pagan events, including the Starwood Festival and a number of VA festivals and Pagan Pride Days. He has a PhD in public policy from George Mason University, and in real life is an economic policy consultant.

Growing Medicinal and Visionary Plants

There are a large number of plants that have been used for dreams, visions, relaxation, healing and altered states for a very long time in different parts of the world. The US is somewhat schizophrenic about these plants. Some are sold in herbal form with little or no restriction. Some are refined, put in pill or liquid extraction form and are also sold with few restrictions as long as they pass muster as “herbal supplements” in markets where caveat emptor rules. While some of the better known plants and refined substances that are used for visionary and recreational experiences are on the US Drug Enforcement Agency’s Schedule I, there are many others that may legally be possessed and cultivated (although one should seek legal guidance on the consumption and/or refining of such plants. The workshop leader does not pretend to be a lawyer). Online merchants sell many of these plants and seeds, as do some seed companies in the US and Canada that primarily sell flower, herb and vegetable seeds. This workshop will cover both medicinal plants, such as goldenseal and ginseng, as well as plants used for visionary or relaxation purposes, such as Silene capensis (an African dream herb), kratom and kanna. Plants known to be illegal to possess in the US will not be covered. It will focus on cultivation without reliance on expensive equipment and greenhouses, noting that one may need completely different soils and germination methods for different plants, depending upon their native habitat. It will also discuss the existing scientific/medical literature, catalog sources of information on these plants, tell where non-threatened native or North American established plants may be harvested, and list vendors of seeds and plants.

Medicinal Mushrooms

Mushrooms have been used in Asia for medicinal purposes for a very long time. While most of the mushrooms to be discussed are cultivated in Asia rather than harvested in the wild, some of the same or similar species may be found in the wild in the US. Others may be purchased as “food supplements” or as spawn or kits for home cultivation. This workshop will cover 20-30 mushrooms that are of known medicinal value, provide descriptions of each, discuss the available medical literature as well as the general field guides and websites, the marketers of the mushrooms and the variations in quality of those sold specifically as food supplements. It may also include a short field trip on the grounds if it is likely that any of these varieties could be found in the immediate area. This will depend on temperature, rainfall, etc. It is known by the instructor that the habitat supports several of these varieties, including those commonly known as reishi and turkey tail.